


To The Moon And Back

by caramelbits



Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, GAY GAY GAY, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-16 04:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11821584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caramelbits/pseuds/caramelbits
Summary: Eddie deals with some jealousy issues.





	To The Moon And Back

The metal fence felt cold beneath Eddie’s fingertips, the slight burning sensation a welcome one as it brought him out of his cloudy thoughts. There was so much on the teenager’s mind, his warm breathe billowing out of his mouth and into the cool air. Tall lamps that typically burned brightly during the many football games and track meets Mt Massive had to offer were now illuminating him, his eyes settling on the now quite, abandoned football field, his fingers tangling in his messy undercut. Suddenly, he would kick the fence in frustration, walking away from it before planting himself into the grass. Eddie’s hands would dig into his tight jean pockets, finding and placing a curled cigarette in his mouth before lighting it. Inhale, hold it, then exhale. He’d instruct himself inside his head, watching as white smoke spilled from his lips and into the darkness.

 

For some reason, no matter how much he smoked, pranks he pulled, fights he got himself into, Eddie couldn’t help but think about Chris. Sure, the two of them were friends and sure, he was upset that the star linebacker had decided to take a dame with him to homecoming, but he wasn’t sure why. There was no particular reason for him to feel that way, and the more he thought about it the more frustrated he got. He got a weird feeling from the get go, the way Chris didn’t talk about it until it was far too late for Eddie to interject, the nervousness in the big lugs voice as he admitted asking out one of the cheerleaders, the pissed off  way he answered Eddie when he asked about her. The memory would play back in his mind, his skin beginning to crawl, his eyes going wide as he breathed in his cig.

 

It was earlier that week, school had been out for twenty minutes or so and Eddie was without a thing to do. The young punk didn’t particularly want to go home, in fact, he would rather be in detention for the rest of millennia than face his annoying stepmother and overly affectionate father. For some reason, messing with the nerds in robotics hadn’t seemed to tickle his fancy as of late and doing so by himself was never very fun. Gluskin would find himself on the sidewalk, arms bent behind his head as he looked in no place in particular, only for a familiar face to catch his eye. 

 

The gate was much too far away for him to walk, so instead Eddie would climb over the four-foot tall fence, hopping over to the other side without much trouble. The burnt end of his cig would crumble and fall to the ground as he waved to the other, his voice just loud enough for him to hear. “Chris, we’re hanging out Friday. I found a new spot with all sorts of shit to break.” He inhaled the last of his cigarette, rubbing the butt of it against the concrete as he faced the much larger student. There was almost an excitement in his voice as he approached him, sitting next to him with a sideways grin. 

 

“Oh, Gluskin. Didn’t see you there.” Chris would say nonchalantly, the blonde offering him a similar grin. Leaning forward, he’d take a hefty swig from his water bottle, tossing his head back slightly to really enjoy the cool liquid against his parched throat. He gave a slight cough, screwing the cap back onto it before addressing the other. “Uh, Friday? I got something going on.”

Eddie would scoff at the news, crossing his arms over his chest before speaking. “Shut up. I know you don’t have anything going on, who else are you gonna hang out with?” Before Chris could answer his question, he would interject. “Exactly. Anyway, in my neighborhood there's an abandoned house, looks like there hasn’t been anyone in there since the goddamn seventies. I think I saw a tv in there, sure a sledgehammer could do a n-”

 

“Eddie.” Chris would raise his hand, brow furrowing as he attempted to put his own two cents in. Of course, this didn’t go over well with the other. Instead of listening or even quieting himself, he just frowned at him, his upper lip quivering into a snarl before speaking.

 

“I was talking, jackass.” Eddie was almost pouting at this point, digging into his jacket pockets with an annoyed sigh. He then dug the heels of his converse into the row of seats below him, his gaze on it as silence overtook the conversation. It was obvious what Chris was talking about. Homecoming, one of the biggest yearly events at Mt Massive Academy, and as sophomores they were meant to enjoy it all that much more. Although it wasn’t their first dance they could have attended, it was most definitely the first that Chris was required to go to. His Freshman year, he was a benchwarmer, but this year the linebacker had the opportunity to play with the juniors and seniors with his raw talent. It was almost a little impressive.

 

On the other hand, there was little for Eddie to enjoy, except maybe slipping a little alcohol into the punch while the chaperones weren’t looking, though that had too much risk and very little reward.  The intensity in the air could have been practically sliced through with a knife, but instead, he would cut it with his words. “So…. Homecoming, huh? I know your coach and your mom are forcing you to go and all that shit.” He said with finality, picking at his teeth with his nail. “But uh, I guess I could like… You know. Tag along, or whatever.”

 

Almost immediately, Chris would sigh in response, “Alright, alright. I’m not gonna force you to go, Gluskin. If you don’t wanna go, you won’t have fun.” His hand would come to his shoulder, giving it a friendly pat before returning to his side. There was a swell of sorts, awkward and frustrating, it was bitter on Eddie’s tongue as he listened to Chris. Unfortunately, it would only get even worse with every word. “I’m taking Lisa anyway, would be weird with you third wheeling.” He then jolted in realization, turning to Eddie suddenly. “Oh, shit. I didn’t mean to…”

 

Suddenly, Eddie would look to the other, his eyes wide as saucers, his brow furrowed in distaste. His mouth was practically on the floor, attempting to find words to say but coming up with nothing. Chris blinked at him, looking away briefly before settling back onto him, sweat beginning to bead on his neck as they exchanged gazes. “You’re taking _**Lisa?**_ Head of the cheerleaders? The bitch that hangs around Waylon and those other fucking nerds? Dude, she _**hates**_ us! Why the fuck would she take you to the dance?”

 

“Man, I knew you’d get upset... Sorry, I..” Before Chris could respond, Eddie would stand suddenly, face as red as a tomato, his blue eyes as wild as could be. He was absolutely furious, anger burning in his stomach before bubbling out into full blown rage. Chris, on the other hand, was pale with frustration, angry that he let such sensitive information slip. He felt like an idiot, of course, Eddie would act like this. He gets upset at the littlest of things, there was no way to tell how he’d react to something like this. Thoughts of regret would race through the blonde's mind, attempting to find a way to patch up the situation. 

 

“Why her?”

 

“What?”

 

“Why the fuck would you ask her?” Eddie’s voice was laced with poison, anger and disappointment beginning to take form over his expression as he spoke. “I’ve never even seen you talk to her outside of… Class. She’s not that cute.”

 

“Eddie,” Chris would sigh with concern, “come on. That’s not fair to say---”

 

“This whole situation isn’t fair to me!” The punk slapped his chest as it would rise and fall with every breath, though Chris wouldn’t respond. He just sat there, watching as Eddie desperately waited for a response, his eyes darting to and from him, searching for something, anything, to get him out of this uncomfortable situation. Instead of diffusing it, Gluskin’s voice would rise with anger. “ _ **Fucking…. Talk to me, Walker!**_ ”

 

“Well the whole fucking world doesn't revolve around you, _**does it?**_ ” The words felt like nails against a chalkboard, like Chris reached into Eddie’s chest and ripped his heart out from between his ribs. Those words hurt for some reason, doesn’t he know that they did? The damage was already done, His stomach felt like it dropped to the ground, his once angry, crazed expression now turning to… Sadness, confusion, and Chris could see it too. Eddie would just stand there, still as his hands balled into fists, Chris exhaling as he rubbed his face. 

 

“Fine, you know what? You’re a jackass. I don’t need you.” Eddie spat, jumping down from the bleachers, kicking a trash can over in frustration before hopping over the same fence. He never looked back, didn’t even want to see the exasperated look on his friends face, didn’t even want an explanation at this point. As he walked away he would say goodbye with his middle finger, sticking it high in the air as he shouted his last words. “ _ **Fuck you.**_ ”

 

Since then, Eddie had completely ignored Chris. No matter how many times the blonde would try to talk to him, the punk would turn the other way. Chris would even go so far as to stand in front of his classes, though it wouldn’t work. Eddie would just bail outta class early or push past him into the crowded halls of Mt Massive. He’d even find his way to the roof during lunch break. Eventually, Chris got the message and stopped trying to chase after him, but for some reason that didn’t sit right in his stomach. It wasn’t what he wanted, though he wasn’t sure what he wanted exactly. Did he want Chris to apologize? Did he want him to bail on Lisa? Or was it because he shot down his suggestions at the start? Whatever the reason, Eddie couldn’t help but feel like a string that was pulled too tight, ready to snap at any time.

The week felt like forever, even though they chatted on a Tuesday, Friday couldn’t take long enough. Eddie was ripe with irritation, watching as the entire student body wouldn’t shut the fuck up about the dance. The student council put up decorations and posters about the long awaited weekend, there were announcements every morning, even the student news and radio couldn’t get enough of it. It was the talk of the town, who was going with who, the theme for the dance, who was going to be crowned homecoming king and queen. Whatever it was, Eddie couldn’t give a shit about it. Even the slight mention of the subject had him obnoxiously sighing and leaving the room, but eventually, the day came as much as he detested it.

 

Of course, it was today, and he was sitting alone on the football field, smoking the last of his cigs as the school partied on inside. He was there since school was out, watching as students prepared for the night while others showed up in fancy limousines and their parent's cars. Boys in suits too large for their frame and ugly ties, girls in frilly dresses and heavy makeup, they all looked far too dressed up for just a school dance, looking almost tacky as they locked in each other's arms before heading in. It would only take a few couples for the punk to finally figure out what the theme was, to the moon and back, or something along those lines. There were small designs of galaxies riddled throughout everyone’s outfit and if it wasn’t on their suit or dress it was tied up in their hair or wrists. It was almost tasteful, though it was obvious by the look of them that they dressed themselves. Eddie would vaguely remember the fashion magazines he kept in the deepest crevices of his room, behind his porn mags and album covers. God knows what would happen if someone found out his love for Vogue or Cosmopolitan, he could practically hear the word “fag” repeat in his head as he turned away from the ill dressed teens.

 

Brushing away those thoughts, he would light another cigarette, able to hear the booming pop music from where he was sitting despite being on the other side of the field. Either way, he’d sigh, laying his back against the grass as the sky turned from a pretty pink to a dark red, finally settling on a dark blue. Even though the lights were bright, Eddie could still see the stars in the sky, the full, pretty moon shining brightly as he counted the constellations. There was seldom a quiet time in his life for him to do something so…. Soft. Typically, he’d be running around the neighborhood, scaring kids and breaking shit, though for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do those things even as anger boiled beneath his skin. He traced the shape of the big dipper, the name coming to mind. He rolled his eyes, giving a grunt before finally shutting them, really putting some thought into whatever happened between him and Chris.

 

_O **kay, so Chris was a total jackass. There wasn’t any way around it and there was most definitely a better way for him to say what needed to be said. He said that he knew I would get upset, but he didn’t have the balls to tell me in the first place. Didn’t he know that I’d figure it out or is he really that stupid?**_  He thought to himself, scratching his head _. **But… Why would he think something like that? Is he scared of me? I mean, I can pack a mean fucking punch but the dude is twice my size. Ugh, what a fucking weirdo. If he was that concerned about me being angry he shoulda kept it to himself.**_ He was already done with his second cig, onto the third. **_He’s so fucking smart but he’s so damn soft. I wish he wasn’t so fucking devoted, it’s annoying. He’s just like my fucking step-mom. Ugh, just do something for yourself, Walker. Your bullshit is getting on my nerves._**

 

“Gluskin.” A voice snapped Eddie back to attention, one that made him jump, curling upward to face whoever it was that was speaking to him. Of course, the voice belonged to Chris, the blonde was looming over the other, his hands in his pocket, blue eyes scanning over him.At first, Eddie wanted to get up, turn the other way and never look back. Anxiety was building in his stomach and he couldn’t run away from it. He was like a deer in the headlights, still as could be as his eyes met Chris’. Before Eddie could react, he would speak again, “Okay, okay. I know I’m the last person you want to see right now, but I wanted to talk.” Then, he sat down next to him, their thighs almost close enough to touch but not quite as the larger male got comfortable. His legs were bent, his elbows resting in his knees as he settled down, and there Eddie could actually get a good look at the other.

 

Chris was all dressed up, as to be expected, though it was in something Eddie wasn’t exactly expecting. Chris was the type of guy to wear a slick black suit, a white undershirt and a black tie, simple and stylish or at least in his opinion, though he would break that entirely. The larger male was wearing a tight, bright red button down shirt, suspenders and black slacks. He looked extremely uncomfortable in such a statement piece and even earned a chuckle from Eddie before he looked away.

 

“You look stupid,” Eddie commented.

 

“Shut the fuck up,” Chris responded, though it was in a playful tone. “Lisa made me wear it, y’know. To match.”

 

“So why aren’t you with her then?”

 

“Well, she had better things to do I guess.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Apparently, she only accepted because she wanted to get back at her boyfriend, poor guy was so heartbroken that she ran back into his arms at first sight.” Chris would sigh, lying down in the grass with Eddie before speaking once again. “I don’t give a shit though, I got pictures with her so mom’s happy and after the ceremony coach let me go scott-free. Though, it was fun seeing Park all pissed off.” 

 

“Why was four-eyes pissed?”

 

“Dude, he has a crush on Lisa. Didn't you know that? Are you serious?”

 

“ **WHAT?** Park thinks he has a chance with her? Not in a million years dude.”

 

“I thought you said she was ugly?”

 

“I mean, compared to him she’s a damn model.” 

 

Laughter erupted between the two, the cool air surprisingly warm as the two spent the night in each other's company. It was like old times as if they weren’t just having a spat. It felt so natural being with him, watching the way his mouth curled upwards into a warm smile, the way his tongue peeked behind his teeth as his chuckling broke the swell. It just felt so comforting, familiar being in his presence, though it wasn’t something he would admit, or even acknowledge, even though the thought did creep up on him in that moment. Eddie brushed it off, turning his body towards Chris. “...We good?” He questioned, his blue eyes softening as they gazed at the other.

 

“Yeah, we’re good.” Chris would say through soft chuckles, his head turning towards his friend. They would lay there for a good few moments, their laughter quieting down to small giggles, soft sighs leaving them as they enjoyed the refreshing, night air. The looked away from one another, observing the sky above them. To the moon and back, what a corny theme. Eventually, Eddie would push himself off the cool ground, adjusting his jacket and jeans, brushing off any dirt that managed to get onto his outfit. He then stared down to Chris, a sideways smirk on his face.

 

“Alright, let's get outta here, jackass.” 

 

“You first, dickhead.”

  
  
  



End file.
